Exploding Kona Electric

Not that I like posting this but knowledge is power.

Another Kona fire and hopefully one that can be explained once more details emerge.
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1909351/incendie-force-evacuations-lebourgneuf

 

I wonder how many ICE burnt the same day?

 

Hundreds.

So commonplace that they don't make the News.

 

https://electrek.co/2022/01/12/government-data-shows-gasoline-vehicles-are-significantly-more-prone-to-fires-than-evs/?fbclid=IwAR3r8rlW_YHE74teMhvOP2wJxIJ9HX0yCYfI1iB3OawYui7SWJZljnrZGm0

 

"Not enough equipment". When will fire departments ever accept the concept of containment? Our local department won't even consider a donation of a car fire blanket. They told me "thousands and thousands of gallons of water is the only way".

 

Nobody is promising "low conductivity coolant" will prevent a fire on a high-energy crash. If battery cells get crushed or punctured during a crash, the cell will short circuit internally with predictable results.

The job of "low conductivity coolant" is to prevent battery cells from short circuiting in case coolant leaks inside the battery pack.

 

Vehicle fires...I am always amazed at the press that EV fires get but ICE vehicle fires just are not news.
I have attended a couple dozen fire scenes that involved ICE vehicles in the last 10 years (I am now retired) as part of Insurance clean up/repair work in the business I was involved in. All of the vehicles where parked either inside or adjacent to residential buildings and all of the vehicles where just sitting there minding their own business when they caught fire.
This just happens, hell a couple where VW diesel Jetta's - nothing to do with fuel type, everything to do with electrical shorts in complicated electrical systems.
Besides having our Kona EV I also have a couple of older MG's - they can have fires as well...do I still park them inside? Yes. Do I worry about it? No....I do make sure all our insurance premiums are paid though!
Mike

 

Listening to traffic reports on the radio, there are a few dozen 'car-b-que's reported every year that I hear about. I've witnessed a few in a drive by on my commute. However unlike in a hollywood movie, gasoline generally just burns albeit sometimes with a big whoosh if it was spilled. Explosions occur when you contain the burning. A lithium battery will get hot and may explode because it has all the burning material encased/trapped inside a containment vessel, so it builds up pressure and goes boom!